Til the Sky Turned Blue Book I
by Jennifoofighter
Summary: I am asking you to take a journey with me. For some it might a bumpy ride but I promise you will be very happy when we arrive at the final destination. Shifting POV's for all WaT characters but this is an MS fic. Post 'Endgame'
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE: 'Til the Sky Turned Blue – Book I of VI  
****AUTHOR: Jennifoofighter  
****RATING: PG  
****KEYWORDS: MS, hint of JS, M/OC, D/OC, VM, and friendship all around.  
****SPOILERS/TIMELINE: Post 'End Game'  
****ARCHIVE: This archived at DestinedTo and FanFicNet.  
****DISCLAIMER: Hank and Co. own everything **_**Without a Trace**_**. No copyright infringement is intended, any similarities are strictly coincidental….yada, yada, yada, I get nothing but the satisfaction of having them do what I want if only for a little while.  
****SPECIAL THANKS: This is my very first fic and I would like to thank both Sammy and Broni. Thank you for the reviews, the constructive criticism, and most of all, the encouragement to actually post it. You guys rock.  
****AUTHORS NOTE: **_**I am asking you to take a journey with me. For some it might be a bumpy ride but I promise that you will be very happy once we arrive at the final destination.**_

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"_Some people come into our lives and quickly go.  
__Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts.  
__And we are never, ever the same." - Anonymous_

XXXXXXX

Jack leaned against the window to the recovery room and gave a thankful sigh that Vivian was going to be okay. He was hurt that she had verbally tossed him out of her room earlier but knew had the situation been reversed, he would have reacted the same way. Hell, he'd been shutting people out for the last eight months and his heart was only emotionally broken.

He found it oddly karmic that he and Viv both suffered ailments of the heart.

"Hey."

Jack turned to find Sam walking towards him. He had called her before the boys to update her on Vivian's procedure and get debriefed on the processing of Adisa Teno and Paige Hobson. "Hey yourself, you got here fast."

"Nothing but green lights all the way here," she replied with a lopsided grin. She turned to face the observation window to look at Viv. "Is she awake yet?"

"No, but the doctors said that's to be expected." He took a moment to take in the fact that they almost lost her. "I don't know what I would've done if she hadn't made it."

"This is Viv, she's a tough cookie," Sam said to him reassuringly.

"True…" Jack started.

"Excuse me, are you Jack Malone?" Jack and Sam turned around to see a heavy-set nurse with bright red hair walking towards them.

"That's me."

"You have an urgent phone call." She motioned for him to follow her back down the hall to the nurse's station. He and Sam exchanged concerned looks before trailing behind the nurse, her shoes squeaking on the bright white linoleum floor.

He knew that whoever it was would have had to have known that he was at the hospital because he had his cell phone turned off while in the recovery area. If they went through the trouble and urgency of tracking him down it wasn't going to be good news. He didn't like this one bit; urgent was never good.

"Just press the light and it should connect you," the nurse said as she placed the phone on the counter and slid it towards him.

He lifted the receiver and pressed the blinking button. "This is Malone."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Sam watched Jack's expression grow somber. Her first thought was that the higher-ups were already planning an OPR into how they handled the case but she knew they had done everything by the book. How could they have predicted that do-gooder Paige would turn into an international assassin?

It was when she saw all of the color drain out of Jack's face that her gut contracted and she knew something was seriously wrong. She tried to think of what it could be? Viv was fine, they had Paige in custody, and Martin and Danny were driving Adisa to INS. Could something have happened to Maria or the girls?

"Where?...How bad?...How long?" Jack's voice was gruff as she searched his face for answers. Unfortunately her mind was racing too fast to stop and read them. "I'll get back to you." He hung up and stared at the phone.

"What? What's going on?" Her voice was urgent and demanding.

He paused for a moment that seemed to stretch on to an eternity. He cleared his throat and looked up at her. She couldn't help but remember he had that same look on his face when he ended their affair. "Danny and Martin were attacked while transporting Adisa."

"Attacked? What do you mean 'attacked'?" Sam could feel all the cells in her body jump up and stand at attention.

"They were shot." Suddenly she felt like she couldn't breathe. Jack continued, "I don't have all the details but they are on their way here to St. Andrew's."

"I don't understand how this could happen. Were Adisa's people trying to free him?"

Jack sighed and shook his head. "I don't think it was Adisa's people. Adisa Teno is dead." Sam knew what he was afraid to say aloud. If whoever did this killed the prisoner they certainly would not leave two FBI agents behind as witnesses. Jack touched her elbow to lead her to the elevator. "We should head down to the ER."

XXXX

As they walked Sam started pelting him with questions, "Do you know how badly they were injured? Where were they shot? What about the shooters…?"

"I don't know. Van Doren called me right after she heard," Jack replied as he pressed the call button several times praying for the elevator to hurry. Miraculously it opened seconds later. Any longer and he was sure Sam would have insisted they take the stairs. He knew it would have felt faster to at least be moving but with his bum knee it would have taken longer. He turned to her and said, "They're going to be fine."

He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince: her or himself.

They hurried into the ER and he immediately sought out someone who could give him some answers. He spotted the check-in desk and was about to head over when the ER doors slid open and he recognized the person being wheeled inside.

"Hispanic male, 31 years old, gunshot wound to the left shoulder, started an IV, strong pulse….."

Danny was strapped into the gurney accompanied by two EMT's who were quickly ushering him into the ER bay. He spotted Jack and they immediately made eye contact but before Danny could speak, a doctor and some nurses rushed him away.

"Danny…." Jack began to follow them when a nurse grabbed him by the arm.

"You know him?" He turned around to find a determined looking ER nurse eyeing him carefully. She was Puerto Rican and couldn't have been much older than Sam.

"He's one of my agents. Is he going to be okay?" Jack once again made a move towards the room where Danny was taken. His mind was fluctuating between concern for his welfare, needing to know what happened and finding out who was responsible so he could inflict some serious harm.

"I'm sorry, you can't go in there." She had a calm yet firm tone that seemed to come from years of deflecting anxious family and friends.

"I need to talk to him."

"I promise, as soon as he's stable you can see him. But please, for his sake, let us do our job." She gave him a comforting smile and walked to where Danny was being treated and closed the doors.

Jack stood there staring at the ER doors in disbelief. It took him a few moments to finally pull his eyes away and he saw that Sam was looking dazed and withdrawn. An angry or confrontational Sam he could handle; a stoic one terrified him. He knew that she was worried about Danny but more nervous that Martin hadn't arrived alongside him. Years of experience had taught them that when two people are involved in an accident but don't arrive together it was never a good sign.

He approached her carefully, studying her expression and trying to think of something to say. When no words came, he simply stood next to her, put his hand on her shoulder and they waited.

He didn't know how long they were standing there when Sam finally broke the silence. "Why isn't he here yet?"

She spoke so softly, like a timid child, that Jack almost didn't hear her. He was searching for a response that wouldn't sound condescending when the ER doors opened again and there was Martin.

He flew by in a blur of activity as the EMT's began shouting stats to the doctors and nurses who hurriedly joined them in leading Martin's gurney into another ER exam room. "White male, 35 years old, multiple gunshot wounds. Two shots to the chest and one shot to the head. He flat-lined at the scene; down approximately two minutes, we were able to revive him but he's still unresponsive. Collapsed lung, we inserted a chest tube…. " And as quickly as they came in they were gone.

Jack shot a glance to Sam and saw that she had gone completely pale. He walked over to where she stood and put his arms around her as she broke down.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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Sam's crying had finally subsided into soft whimpers. Jack sensed that she was starting to regain her composure when his phone started ringing. He had turned it back on during the elevator ride down so he'd be able to get constant updates from Van Doren. He removed his hold on Sam, stepped back, and pulled out his cell. She began wiping the tears away from her face and took a deep breath. He could almost see her reconstructing her emotional armor. He turned to walk away from where she stood and hit the talk button.

"Malone…..Uh, huh….They were just taken in…..Yeah, I understand…..I'll be right there." Jack clicked off his phone and returned to see that Sam had taken a seat in the waiting area. "That was Van Doren. She's at the scene and wants me there as soon as possible."

She looked up at him and nodded before replying, "I'm staying here."

"Good. Listen, I don't want to leave but this is a bad situation all around and I have to go." She nodded again. "Call me the minute you hear anything okay?"

"Yeah," she answered sadly.

He resisted the urge to hug her again before turning and walking towards the exit.

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Sam didn't know how long she was sitting in the waiting area when she heard someone call her name. She looked up to see the same ER nurse who had the exchange with Jack earlier.

She stood up and asked, "What's going on? How is he….I mean, how are they?"

"A doctor will be out to speak with you shortly but I thought we should give these to you now." She handed her two plastic bags. "It's their belongings: guns, badges, etc. We know that whenever an officer comes in you want these back as soon as possible. "

Sam took the bags and the weight felt very strange in her numb hands. "Thank you."

The nurse was about to walk away when she stopped and turned back, "Are you alright? Do you want me to call someone?"

"No, I'm okay." Sam hesitated before adding, "I'll be okay. Just make sure my guys are too."

The nurse nodded and headed back to the ER desk.

Sam opened the first bag and looked in to see that it was Danny's stuff. She didn't even have to open the wallet to know it wasn't Martin's. She closed the bag, reached for the other and fished out the black leather object. She needed to see him – even if it was just a standard badge ID.

She flipped it open and was struck by how young Martin looked. He had that short haircut that made him look simultaneously like a little boy and a man. His expression was very serious. They tell you to look serious because when you flash your badge you are doing it for serious reasons.

Noticing a bit of paper sticking out from underneath the ID she pulled it out and immediately felt a lump in her throat. It was the top half of a photo strip. It was frayed at the edges with small creases across the images. It looked as if Martin had taken it in and out of its "secret hiding place" on multiple occasions. Sam felt tears well up in her eyes as she pulled out her own badge to retrieve the missing bottom half which looked just as weathered.

They had taken them when they stopped to pick up a few things from the mini-mart around the corner from her apartment.

XXX

_They were in a pretty good mood. While they had found their missing person undergoing an illegal and dangerous surgery so she could return to her old looks, they did find her alive. A case solved is still a solved case. Plus, Sam had told Martin about her comment to Danny and that the look on his face was priceless. They both were laughing about it as they entered the store to get some beer while their pizza was being prepared next door. _

"_Hello, Sam and Martin," Baochi greeted them. _

"_Hi Baochi," they replied in unison. He owned the bodega and knew Sam from the neighborhood. She noticed that as soon as she started showing up regularly with Martin he would wink at her or give sly looks of approval. _

_She started down the aisle when she realized that Martin had stopped trailing behind her. She turned around to see him staring intently at something. She walked up next to him to find out what he found so fascinating: it was a Photo Booth. You pay two bucks, sit on stool in a tiny booth and it takes four candid photos on one strip. She gave Martin a perplexed look when he suddenly got a big smile on his face._

"_Oh no, no way!" She began to back away when he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the booth._

"_Oh yes! C'mon it'll be fun!" _

_He paid his two dollars and moved them both inside the booth and drawing the curtain shut. Since there was only one stool in the small confined space she had to sit on his lap. It was awkward and she felt so silly. By this point they were both laughing so hard they didn't even hear the click announcing that the first photo was about to be taken. Once they realized the camera had started snapping pictures they played up the poses. Their good humor gave way to playful kisses which lead to passionate ones and before you knew it, Baochi was coughing loudly, asking if they were alright. _

XXX

Sam stared at the photos she held in her hand:

One: Her head is tilted back in a laugh and Martin is looking at her with a wide smile.

Two: They are making silly faces – or rather trying to. It's very hard to try and look silly when you are laughing so hard.

Three: She is giving him an exaggerated kiss on his cheek while his expression is one of bemusement and mock embarrassment.

Four: This was the one that tugged at Sam's heart. It was the two of them looking at one another and just smiling. It was so simple and yet so intimate.

She ran her fingers over the photos and wondered how they got from that point to where they were today. But then she knew how it happened; and she was the one who lead them here.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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When Jack arrived at the scene he was greeted by flashing police lights and several news crews bucking against the crime scene tape trying to get footage for the eleven o'clock news. He wormed his way through the crowd of gawkers craning their necks in the hopes of seeing something gruesome that they could share with their co-workers over coffee in the morning.

Once Jack got past the Crime Scene Van and was able to see the car, he felt like he got a swift kick to the chest. The car was not only riddled with bullets but it was also crushed on the driver's side by a large white SUV. What in the hell happened here? He made his way past the police officers and crime scene investigators to try and get a closer look at the vehicle. Even from twenty feet away he could see Adisa's body covered by a white sheet in the backseat.

He stopped when he spotted Van Doren approaching.

"Jack, how are Taylor and Fitzgerald?"

"Don't know yet. What have you been able to piece together?" Jack needed to think about how to get whoever was responsible and not about the fact that three of his four agents were currently in the hospital.

"Well, we have two witnesses." She nodded to a couple standing on the sidewalk looking pale and shaky. "They were driving in the opposite direction. According to them, two men dressed in black, jumped out the back of a black or dark blue van, and starting shooting. They had semi-automatics."

Van Doren gave Jack a moment to let him soak in that fact. A gunshot wound is dangerous enough but being shot by a semi-automatic usually equals death. Jack wondered how it was that Danny was only hit once and Martin, who was hit three times, was even alive.

"Apparently Fitzgerald was driving and he reacted by pressing on the gas but he only hit the corner of the van before ending up in the intersection where they collided with the SUV."

"How's the driver?"

"He's fine, a little banged up but okay."

"Did he see anything?"

She shook her head and said, "Nothing beyond slamming into the car. The couple said that after the accident the two men hopped back into the van and sped off."

Jack swallowed and asked, "And Adisa Teno?"

She glanced at the backseat where Adisa sat dead. "Preliminary suggests that he took a shot directly to the forehead. He never had a chance."

Jack swallowed. "The witnesses, can they give a description of the men?"

"We have our guy working on it."

"Good." Jack walked to the car to get a closer look. When he got to the passenger door he saw blood everywhere.

Van Doren followed Jack from behind. "Jack, this isn't good. This is far from good: we have a dead prisoner, two injured agents, one whose father is the Deputy Director, and two terrorists on the loose. We need to get some answers fast."

Jack reigned in his anger before turning around to face Van Doren. "Look, these aren't just injured agents – these are MY agents, MY team. I don't give a crap about who Fitzgerald's father is – he's one of my men and I intend to find out who's responsible. I already think I know who is."

Jack walked away from Van Doren towards the artist technician where the witnesses were giving their descriptions. "Are you finished?"

"Yeah, here you go." The tech turned the monitor around so Jack could see the computer generated rendering.

"Make me a copy," Jack ordered, not even attempting to be cordial.

The tech quickly printed out the composite renderings and handed them to Jack. He gave one final look at the car before turning around to start the search for Emil Dornvald.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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After finishing up at the scene Jack returned to the hospital and found Sam sitting in the waiting room exactly where he left her. She was staring at something in her hand but when she saw him approaching she shoved it into her coat pocket.

"Any news?" he asked, wondering what she was trying to hide from him.

"Danny's out of surgery," she replied. "They said he is going to be fine. It was a through and through and the bullet managed to avoid damaging any major muscles or nerves. We can see him as soon as they move him to recovery."

He knew that if she hadn't volunteered any news about Martin there probably wasn't any but he had to ask, "And Martin?"

"Nothing yet," Sam's voice cracked and for a moment Jack thought she might start crying again. However, despite the chink in her armor earlier, she was back to the consummate professional Special Agent. "What did you learn at the scene?"

He gave her a quick synopsis of all the information he learned while still managing to avoiding having to describe the state of the car. He noticed Sam's forlorn expression at hearing the details and while he wanted to hold and comfort her, the voice in his head reminded him that she only wanted comfort from Martin now. He blew his chance long ago.

"Where do we start looking?" she asked in a voice full of determination.

"I think we should talk to Danny as soon as possible. We have the witnesses account but I think he might be able to give us more accurate details," he said as she nodded in agreement.

"The nurse gave me their belongings," she said gesturing to two plastic bags by her feet. "Have you called Rafi's girlfriend, Sylvia, and Martin's parents?"

"Van Doren contacted Victor herself. He should be here within the hour. Benefit of being the Deputy Director, you can use the jet at a moment's notice. I called Sylvia but she is staying with her cousin in Baltimore. She is due any day now so I told her to hold off on coming out here until I have more information on Danny's condition."

"Makes sense, I'm sure Danny would agree."

He too a moment to study Sam's face and saw that her eyes were red rimmed and raw. "Martin's going to be okay."

"I know." She looked at him as if unsure of just how to much information to share with one ex-lover about another. She bit her lip and considered her words carefully. "It's just that…..there's still a lot to say."

He nodded at her. He knew Martin had been falling for Sam since day one – he does have a Masters in Psychology for a reason. But it wasn't until this moment that he allowed himself to believe that she just might love him back.

They sat and waited together for a bit longer until they could hear voices filtering down the hall. One of those voices he recognized as F.B.I. Deputy Director Victor Fitzgerald's.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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Jack stood up and walked down the corridor towards the disembodied voices. When he turned the corner he spotted Victor walking with a younger man in suit. Jack could only assume he was the agent Van Doren sent to pick up the Deputy Director.

"I think the nurse said the waiting room was down this way," the younger agent said.

When Jack got closer he recognized the agent speaking to Victor as Paul Turner from VCU. Turner was tall, black and a former quarterback for Norte Dame. The kind of guy you want on your side.

As soon as Victor spotted Jack, his pace increased as he walked determinedly towards him. "Jack, what do we know? How's my son?"

"Martin's still in surgery. We haven't heard anything yet."

Without missing a beat Victor continued, "How about the other agent, Agent Taylor? How is he?"

"He's going to be okay, wound to the shoulder but he should make a fast recovery."

"Good, good," Victor replied looking visibly relieved. He started walking to the waiting room and said, "Let's hope we can say the same for Martin."

Jack wasn't sure if he should tell Victor what the EMT's were saying when Martin came into the ER or wait for the doctor. While he was weighing the decision something occurred to him, "Did Katherine come with you?"

"She was at a judicial conference in San Francisco. She should be arriving in a few hours. Van Doren briefed me on the plane. She said you have a suspect." Jack wasn't surprised that Victor could switch gears so easily and jump right back into his role as Deputy Director.

"Emil Dornvald. He is, was, the security attaché for General Gamba. He's also a former mercenary from South Africa who has done work for the CIA. My guess is he thought Teno was directly responsible for General Gamba's assassination and this was his retaliation," he replied before adding, "Paige Hobson was Adisa Teno's girlfriend."

Victor took a moment to digest the information. "But why here? Why do something as risky as attacking federal agents? It was highly probable that Teno would have been sent back to his country to face trial there."

"Well, since Makeba is in the midst of a civil war, he probably wasn't sure who would be in power by the time Teno was returned. He didn't want to take the chance that Adisa would return a hero not a criminal."

Victor's voice was filled with restrained anger when he said, "Tell me what you need to get this guy."

"Can you keep JTTF off the case for awhile? I really think we should be the ones to get this guy." Jack knew having direct access to the Deputy Director was a gift horse and he was not about to look it in the mouth.

"I'll do anything I can but they won't hold off for long."

"Then we'll just have to find him quickly," Jack replied. "In the meantime, let's just focus on Martin pulling through."

Victor was about to ask him what he meant by that cryptic comment when they noticed Sam stand up with her eyes focused on the doctor who had just exited the ER bay.

XXXX

Sam almost couldn't breath as a tall Indian doctor walked towards Victor and Jack. "Excuse me, are you with Martin Fitzgerald?"

Victor took a few steps forward to meet the doctor halfway. "I'm his father. How is he?"

"I'm Dr. Nagra. Sir, perhaps we could go sit down." The doctor had a compassionate look on his face that filled Sam with dread.

"Just tell me how my son is." Victor raised his tone but Sam couldn't help but notice that the imposing Victor Fitzgerald's hands were shaking.

"Please sir." Dr. Nagra waved his hand in the direction of the waiting area. Victor took in the look on the doctor's face and to Sam's surprise he relented and walked over to the waiting area and sat down next to her. Jack followed his lead while Turner remained standing. Dr. Nagra sat on the coffee table across from the row of seats now occupied by Victor, Sam, and Jack.

"Okay, I'm sitting. Give it to me straight." Sam was thankful that it was Victor who spoke first, the suspense was killing her.

Dr. Nagra, in a calm, professional tone began to explain the extent of Martin's injuries: damage to his right lung; some internal bleeding; muscle damage to his right shoulder; his left leg was broken; a bullet braised his right temporal lobe and that has caused some pressure to build but they were unsure if it was going to cause any permanent damage because the final bomb he dropped was that Martin was in a coma - indefinitely.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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Sam and Jack exited the elevator and headed to the recovery room to see Danny. After Dr. Nagra gave them the news about Martin's condition he said that Martin's visitors should be limited to immediate family until they have him settled in his own room. It was torturous to Sam that she would have to wait even longer to see him but she also knew there was no way in hell she could ask Victor to give her access based on the grounds that she and Martin were once in a relationship but not anymore.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice that Jack had stopped moving, causing her to bump him from behind.

She mumbled a quick "Sorry," and when she looked up it dawned on her where they were: outside Viv's recovery room. It was also then that she realized that Jack had stopped because Marcus was exiting Viv's room and heading straight for them.

As he neared, the smile on Marcus's face grew. "Hey guys, she's asleep but she woke up for a bit. She already made a crack about when she can get out of her bathrobe and get back to work."

"That's good news," Jack replied.

Marcus' smile faded when he took notice of how disheveled and weary they looked. "What is it?"

Sam was relieved that Jack spoke first, she wasn't sure she could bring herself to tell Marcus what happened.

"I don't know how else to say it but Danny and Martin were involved in a shooting tonight. Danny's going to be okay, we are on our way to his room right now."

"What about Martin?" Sam saw Marcus' eyes focus on her. She knew that Viv had most likely told him all about her and Martin's relationship. That's what couples in love did right? Confide in each other, share secrets. _But you never told Martin what you knew did you? _The voice in her head thought traitorously. Martin would try and bring up his concerns about Viv to her but she would change the subject or shrug it off, too afraid that she would be tempted to spill what she knew. And as much as she wanted to tell Martin, she would have had to break her promise to Viv. She was damned if she did and damned if she didn't. It seemed that Sam spent so much time between a rock and a hard place she might as well start paying rent.

Jack paused a moment and cleared his throat, Sam feeling his eyes on her as well. "He's in a coma."

"Oh, my God," Marcus replied as he rubbed his hands over his face. "This is just….just awful. I'm so sorry." He paused a moment before continuing, "Viv can't handle this right now. She loves those guys. I think we should wait to tell her until she's better."

Jack and Sam nodded in agreement. She knew Viv would be upset that she was purposely being kept out of the loop but it was in her best interest.

"This is going to be all over the news in the morning so be sure to keep the TV off. And I'll tell the nurses not to say anything but it might be tricky with Danny down the hall." Jack nodded his head towards the nurse's station.

Marcus gave him a thankful smile. "I don't want to leave her in case she wakes up again but tell Danny to get well soon. And let me know as soon as you hear about Martin."

Jack nodded as he and Sam continued down the hall.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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The first thing Danny registered when he regained consciousness was a strong throbbing pain in his shoulder and the overwhelming smell of disinfectant. His head felt muddled and fuzzy but he willed himself to open his eyes and the first thing he saw were Jack and Sam walking into the room.

"Hey, you're awake." Jack came to stand next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like something crawled in my mouth and died." Danny's voice sounded hoarse and foreign to him. Sam came up behind Jack and had him move aside. She grabbed the pitcher next to his bed and filled a cup with ice chips.

"Here, this helps." Sam held the cup to Danny's lips and the ice felt cool, crunchy, and blessedly soothing.

"Thanks." While he was swallowing he had a chance to see just how awful Sam looked. Her eyes were puffy and red and it was at that moment he remembered just why he was here. "Martin?"

Sam's eyes refused to meet his so it was Jack who spoke first.

"He's alive." Danny could see Jack looked unsure of how much more to say but he had to know.

"And? Don't hold back on me Jack," he said with as his eyes fluctuated between his two colleagues willing them to say something.

"He's in a coma," Jack said the words so quickly it was if he thought if he said it fast enough it would be less true.

Danny took a moment to register the news. He looked at Sam and felt the familiar pang of guilt.

In a composed voice Jack said, "Danny, I know this is difficult but I need you to tell me everything you remember."

"It was Dornvald and some other guy I didn't recognize. It happened so fast. It's mostly in bits and pieces." Danny hated how fearful his voice sounded.

"Can you take me through it?" He knew that this was the hardest part for an interviewing agent as well as the victim but it was necessary to see if he could remember anything that could help catch this guy.

"Yeah, can I have some more ice first?" Danny looked at Sam who gave him a bit more before he continued, "I had just gotten off the phone with you. There was a dark blue van in front of us. The light turned green but they didn't move so Martin honked the horn."

"_C'mon pal, let's go, it's a green light." Martin urged while honking his horn._

"_At least we're ending the day on an up note." Danny was so happy and relieved that Viv was going to be okay. He already started thinking about the lame jokes he would pester her with, like her faking it just to get out of doing paperwork. _

"_Yeah" Martin smiled back. _

_Then all hell broke loose._

Danny looked at Jack and said, "Dornvald and someone else jumped out of the back of the van."

"_Get down!" Danny called out as gunfire sounded and glass was shattered. _

_Then a piercing pain in his shoulder. _

_A heavy weight on top of him. _

_Him pushing on Martin's leg so it would put pressure on the gas pedal hoping to hit the shooters with the car_.

"I tried to get the car out of the way and maybe hit them but Martin was slouched against the steering wheel and I guess it made us turn."

_Danny felt the car moving fast and then it collided with something because the entire car jerked and Martin was crushed into Danny's side. _

"We ended up hitting an SUV at the intersection." Danny's throat went dry so he paused again and Sam, who was quiet the entire time, offered him more ice chips.

"Go o,." Jack pressed.

"I heard tires screeching and by the time I was able to move out from under Martin and get out of the car they were half-way down the street." Danny felt anxiety building inside. He was going to be okay while Martin was in a coma. "I should have suspected something. I should have known…"

"There was no way to know." Jack reassured him before pulling two computer generated photos from his coat. "There were some other witnesses. Is this a pretty good description of the other guy?"

Danny took the photo. It was a computer generated image of a black man but it was pretty nondescript. He actually looked a lot like Teno.

"I don't know," he replied, shaking his head. "Maybe, but it's hard to tell."

"That's okay. Do you remember anything else? Distinguishing marks on the van? License plate?"

Danny closed his eyes to try and remember, "The van was pretty ordinary. The license plate had a 'C' than either a 'Q' or a zero. Then '1-3-3- something,' I'm sorry. I can't remember anything else."

"Don't be, you gave us a lot to work with." Jack had pulled out his notepad and starting writing down the details he gave him. "Is that all?"

_Martin struggling to breathe, the pleading look in his eyes…_

"Yeah, that's all I can remember right now." Danny lied. He didn't want to go through what happened between him and Martin in the car. He wasn't ready to go there. No yet; maybe not ever.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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Jack and Sam headed back to work, walking straight into his office, avoiding the bullpen altogether. With their team fractured they decided they would rather work in close quarters than look around at all the empty desks.

They spent a bulk of the morning trying to gather as much info as they could but found that they were being blocked at every turn with international political bureaucracy.

"We need those phone records damn it!" Jack screamed into the phone. He was trying to get the consulate to give them access to Dornvald's phone records but it seemed that they thought two injured F.B.I. agents was a small price to pay for getting rid of one of the men responsible for the assassination of their president. Even with Victor's clout they were dragging their feet. "I'll be waiting for your fax!"

He slammed down the receiver and seethed. If he had his druthers he would storm over there and get them himself.

"No luck?" Sam guessed.

Jack walked towards where she sat on the sofa. "No, how's it going with the credit card history?"

"They want the warrants to be processed first," Sam replied, completely exasperated. "Jack, he could be out of the country by the time we are able to track him down."

"We have all modes of transport on alert, ports, train stations, airport. But I'm actually not sure he would go back to Makeba. Based on the latest news reports, it may be the last place he'd go as a supporter of General Gamba. My guess is he will wait a few days before making his next move. Wait for us to drop our guard."

She looked at him and asked, "What do you think his next move will be?"

Jack considered what he would do if he was Dornvald and replied, "If my hunch is right we need to get to Paige Hobson."

He grabbed his coat off of the back of his chair and headed out the door with Sam in tow.

XXXX

They entered the interview room where Paige Hobson was sitting at the table waiting for them. They took the seats on the opposite side of the table. Sam ran her eyes over Paige; she looked ten years older than the woman they had begun searching for the day before.

"I thought you had everything you needed. I gave you my written statement," Paige commented with her gaze set on Sam.

"Some recent events have changed the situation," Jack interjected before Sam could reply.

"You mean the uprising in Makeba?" Paige asked.

"That's part of it," Jack paused a moment before adding, "Paige, Adisa is dead."

The young woman's expression was one of complete shock and disbelief. She looked back and forth between them. "Dead? What do you mean 'dead'?" The inflection of her voice escalated with each word. She stood up at the table and leaned over staring accusatorially at Jack and Sam. "How? What in the hell did you bastards do to him!"

"It was Dornvald," Sam's voice responded calmly and disaffectedly.

"How? I saw Adisa in the hall, your partners were taking him to INS….why couldn't they protect him?" Paige sounded desperate and angry.

"He didn't just kill Adisa, Paige. My partners were injured too." Sam swallowed before continuing, "One of them is in a coma."

Paige examined both their faces before slumping back into her chair. She started crying and said, "What have I done? It's my fault."

Jack and Sam exchanged looks and gave Paige a moment to grieve before getting to the reason for their visit.

Jack said, "Paige, we need your help in finding Dornvald."

Paige wiped her eyes and met Jack's gaze and asked, "How?"

He pulled out the photo of the second shooter who they had still been unable to identify and slide it towards Paige. "Do you recognize this man?"

Paige picked up the photo and looked it over carefully. A look of recognition crossed her face. "Yeah, that's Amadi Jamal. He's Dornvald's right hand man." She put the photo down and looked back up. "According to Adisa, he is the one who killed his brother."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

XXXXXXX

"Agent Taylor, I want you to know that I am completely against this." Dr. Close gave Danny a stern look as she handed him the AMA discharge papers.

"Yeah, I know," Danny replied as he signed the papers and handed them back.

He was going crazy in the hospital room. He couldn't just sit around doing nothing while the man who tried to kill Martin and him was still out there.

"You're not fully recovered – you were admitted less than 24 hours ago. In my medical opinion you are not ready to go home much less back to work in the field." Normally, he would be happy to play doctor with a woman who looked like she did: tall and fit with long blonde hair and big green eyes, but he had more important things to do. Like find Dornvald and make him pay for what he did.

"I get it. I don't expect you to understand but this is something I have to do." He finished gathering his things and attempted to put on his jacket. It was difficult to do with his arm in a sling so rather than continue looking like a dog chasing his own tail he gave up the fight and shoved the jacket into his bag.

"You need to rest and heal," she replied, clearly amused by his attempt at dressing but still not willing to let him leave that easily.

"Got it. Is that all?" Danny decided against mentioning that he couldn't rest even if he wanted to: every time he closed his eyes he was back in that car.

Dr. Close decided there was no point in arguing any further. It was clear that her patient had made up his stubborn mind. "Well, if you're going - whether or not it's in your best interest - here's a list of directions for you to follow and a prescription to manage the pain."

"I'm not in any pain," he lied.

"Yes, you are. I can't force you to stay but don't try and bullshit me." She gave him a steely glare as she handed him the prescription. "Here."

"Thanks." While Danny was surprised by Dr. Close's words, he accepted the piece of paper and realized that maybe he didn't look as ready as he was letting on. "Can I go now?"

"You can leave as soon as the orderly gets here with your ride. Ah, speaking of the devil." She moved aside as an orderly entered with a wheelchair.

"I am not going out in that thing," he argued.

"If you want to leave the hospital, this is your only way out." Dr. Close smiled mischievously at Danny who was waging an internal battle on whether or not to try and argue his way out of it until finally admitting defeat. So he reluctantly sat down in the offensive mode of transport.

Once he was seated the orderly reached for the handles but she waved him off and started wheeling Danny out of the room.

"It's not necessary," he said; he could not feel more emasculated if he tried.

"Yes, it is," Dr. Close replied as she leisurely pushed Danny down the hall. "I have eight floors to try and convince you to stay and I intend to take full advantage."

Danny should have known that this woman was not about to give up so easily. She was attractive, sure, but apparently she was just as hard headed as her patient.

At the end of the hall they stopped in front of the elevator. She pushed the call button and leaned against the wall to wait.

"Do you want to stop and visit your friend before you leave?" He knew she wasn't referring to Viv because he wasn't allowed to see her since she wasn't supposed to know what happened. He had talked to her on the phone though. He liked talking to Viv because he didn't have to talk about the shooting.

Dr. Close was referring to his avoiding seeing Martin. Several nurses had offered to take him upstairs but he would reply saying he was too tired. And yet he managed to have enough strength to argue that he was well enough to get a release Against Medical Advice.

The elevator emitted a ding announcing its arrival, the doors opened and Danny gave a silent thank you for time to gather his thoughts as she wheeled the chair into the elevator. As soon as they were inside her finger lingered over the buttons for floor selection.

"Well?"

"No, I'll stop by later, after I find out how the case is going." Danny saw that Dr. Close was debating whether or not to push the issue when she relented and pressed for the ground floor. He gave her a small smile of appreciation. He knew he wasn't ready to face Martin. Not yet. He needed to have Dornvald in custody first. At least that's what he told himself. There was nothing wrong with the George Costanza wisdom: It's not a lie if you believe it.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

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Sam walked towards Martin's room. She and Jack were at a frustrated stand still until they could get the warrants processed so she decided to check in on Martin and Danny.

The door was open and she peeked in and saw Martin's mother, Katherine, seated next to him. Even if she had never seen a photo she would have recognized her immediately. She looked a lot like her sister, Bonnie, only more stylishly dressed in her Chanel suit and coiffed blonde hair.

Katherine sat perfectly composed next to Martin's bed, and if it wasn't for the fact that she was in a hospital, she could have easily been sitting on her judicial bench.

"….Parker said the girls are making you pictures and she'll fax them as soon as they are done. She and Reese are going to try and get out here as soon as they are able," she continued talking to Martin as if he were an active participant in the conversation and could sit up and respond at any moment. "I also talked to Jamie. She sends her love and said that she and Roger will be by tomorrow to check up on you…"

Sam decided that she didn't want to intrude and made move to leave when Katherine spotted her hovering in the doorway.

"Hello," Katherine's voice was filled with warmth.

"Hi," Sam cringed at the high pitched level of her greeting. "I, um, I work with Martin. I'm Samantha Spade." She hated at how stiff her response sounded but what else could she say? _Hi, you don't know me but up until a few weeks ago I was sleeping with your son on a daily basis. He broke-up with me when he realized that I am emotionally closed off to love as a result of numerous disastrous relationships with men. And how are you?_

"I know who you are," she replied with a smile at Sam.

She was taken aback by this admission and said, "Yeah, I'm sure Martin told you about the whole team…"

Katherine shook her head. "No, I know about you and my son." She turned to look at Martin. "He told me about the two of you after I made another attempt at setting him up for his cousin's wedding." She turned her gaze back to her and asked, "So Samantha Spade, are you going to come in or not?"

Sam hesitated a moment before entering. So Martin had told his parents – or at least his mother – about their relationship. Then she wondered if he also told his mother about their breakup.

She took the seat on the other side of the bed and looked at Martin. He was bandaged and connected to tubes and machines that beeped incessantly. While his eyes were closed he still looked so different from how he usually looked when he was asleep. It was one of her favorite pastimes, seeing him sleeping soundly alongside her. The rhythm of his chest rising and falling always seemed to soothe her.

"Do you remember underoos?"

Sam was startled out of her reverie by this strange question. "Pardon?"

"Underoos," Katherine said again in case she thought Sam didn't hear her. "They are those underpants that were so popular with kids. They usually had superheroes on them."

"Yeah, I remember them." Of course, Sam remembered them. They were expensive and as much as she begged her mom for a pair she never got any. They were too extravagant for a single mother living in a trailer park, raising two kids.

"When Martin was five he was completely obsessed with Superman so Bonnie gave him a pair with the Superman insignia on them." She set her gaze back on Martin. "He never wanted to take them off. We finally had to buy him seven pairs just to get him to change his underwear daily. If we had let him, he would have worn just those underpants and nothing else. Fortunately, for us, Superman had his alter ego, Clark Kent, and we were able to convince Martin to do what Superman does: wear his superhero outfit underneath his everyday clothes. It seemed to pacify him. That is until Karen Wentworth's annual garden party."

Katherine looked back up at Sam and smiled.

"It's the Wentworth's biggest social event of the year. She loves to show off her prize-winning garden that is centered on her 500-year old oak tree." She raised her eyebrows in mockery. "All was going well until I heard someone yell out, 'That boy is in the tree!' Immediately I knew it was Martin. I just knew it. And sure enough, I looked up and there he was, wearing nothing but his underoos and climbing that damn tree."

Sam couldn't help but smile at the thought of Martin as a little boy who was so precocious.

"I was completely beside myself. People were crying out to call 911, the men ran to the garage to get a ladder, women were making make-shift tarps to catch him if he fell, a complete frenzy. Despite all the hysteria below, Martin kept climbing higher and higher. I couldn't figure out what possessed him to climb the tree until I saw a cat on one of the branches. He climbed within a few feet of the cat but when he reached out to grab her, she scurried off and jumped onto the roof of the garage." Katherine chuckled. "He managed to have a complete look of indignation that he set out to rescue this creature only to be rebuffed.

"So he climbed right back down and when he was within reach, Victor grabbed him and promptly handed him to me. I was torn between wanting to hug him and wanting to strangle the living daylights out of him for scaring me half-to-death. I asked him what on earth he was thinking, he could have been killed! But he just looked at me with his big, blue eyes and very seriously replied, 'Mom, if you want to be a hero you have to go where the danger is.'" Katherine sighed heavily with her eyes on Martin's still form. "That's my boy; he likes to be in the mix of things no matter what the consequences."

Sam glanced at Katherine and for the first time didn't see her as the Deputy Director's wife or a federal judge, but someone's mother; Martin's mother.

"I never wanted him to an agent. I spent enough sleepless nights worrying about his father to know that I didn't want that life for him. I told him that if he wanted to do good things he should do it in a fashion that could have sweeping, broad effects." Katherine reached over to hold his hand. "I still think he would make a great senator."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

XXXXXXX

"Wake up sleeping beauty," Viv opened her eyes to find Marcus watching her.

"Hey yourself," Viv's throat felt dry and scratchy. "How long have I been out?"

"Well, it's been about three hours since the last time you asked me that question," Marcus answered, chuckling softly.

"Very funny. Water please." Marcus got the cup and held the straw to Viv's lips so she could drink. When she was finished she leaned back and said, "Thanks. So how's Reggie doing?"

"He's anxious to get over here," he replied as he moved her bangs from her face. "Rosemary is bringing him by this afternoon."

Viv leaned her head back on the pillow. "So tell me, did I talk to Danny on the phone or did I dream that?"

"Yeah, you did." Marcus turned away and put the cup back on the table. He was hoping to avoid discussing Danny or any other members of the team for as long as possible.

"Okay, good," she replied with a sigh. "I was worried that Danny was becoming the man of my dreams."

He laughed and said, "If he does show up in your dreams you can be sure I'll be there to kick his ass."

"Don't worry. I'm sure Denzel will take care of him," she remarked as her lips curved into a smile.

He turned back to look at her and said, "Very funny."

"I try." He saw that she was trying to find a more comfortable position so he stood up to help. "Thanks. So, tell me, did I talk to anyone else from work?"

Marcus avoided meeting her eyes by adjusting her pillow and straightening her blanket as he said, "Nope, just Danny."

She relaxed as best she could into the bed and replied, "Hmph, I think I am offended no one else from work has called or visited."

"Well, maybe Jack warned them about your little outburst yesterday. You scared them off," Marcus quipped, offering her his best smile.

"Oh, yeah, poor Jack. I was really hard on him. Maybe I should call and apologize." Viv had a regretful look in her eyes. She didn't mean to snap so hard at Jack but she was so angry about the entire situation. She needed to be strong and optimistic with Marcus and Reggie so when Jack presented himself he made a very easy target.

Marcus shook his head and said, "Nah, I talked to him this morning. He's okay. I'm sure they'll be by later."

"Okay," she replied before shutting her eyes and falling asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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"_You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love." - Henry Drummond_

XXXXXXX

Sam and Katherine sat in an amicable silence for another fifteen minutes. The beeping of Martin's monitors providing an almost soothing lullaby. It was the sound of Katherine clearing her throat that got her attention.

"I need to call Martin's sisters to give them an update and get something to eat but I don't want Martin to wake up alone." Samantha felt her throat tighten at obviously hopefulness in Katherine's voice. "Can you stay with him until I return?"

"Of course," she replied.

After Katherine left, she took the opportunity to study Martin. She hardly recognized him. She tried looking beyond the tubes, bandages, and fluorescent lighting to find the man she spent the last eight months sharing the most intimate moments with.

XXX

"_Okay, I have one: your first kiss." Sam was lying alongside Martin with her head on his shoulder drawing lazy circles on his chest while he mimicked the motion on her bare hip. This was her favorite time: just the two of them, lying together talking and learning about each other. _

"_First time I kissed a girl or the first time the kiss really meant something?" he asked. _

_She looked up to see Martin smiling down at her. "Let's start with the first time you kissed a girl and work from there."_

"_Um, that would be Lily Stevens when I was 10. It was during a game of spin-the-bottle at my friend Jake Collins' birthday party." _

_Even in the dark she could see him smiling at the memory. "Was it your spin or hers?"_

"_Mine. I remember it was brief and wet. It lasted maybe a millisecond," he replied. "Okay, your turn, same question."_

"_Bobby Johnson. His older brother was dating my sister so we were forced to hang out. Bridget would always make us go outside so she and Ricky could be alone in the trailer and make-out. One day Bobby said maybe we should kiss so we can figure out what the big deal was. Mine lasted a little longer, maybe a full second. Afterwards we decided that our siblings were crazy for doing that on purpose and went to get ice-cream cones at the Dairy Queen." Sam smiled, reached up and quickly bussed Martin. "Fortunately, I have since revised my opinion."_

"_Thank god for that," he replied between kisses. _

_She finally pulled back so they could continue their late night Q&A. She smiled and said, "Your turn: your first real kiss."_

"_I was 13 this time and her name was Veronica Thompson. Oddly enough, it was at another birthday party for Jake. Only now we had upgraded from spin-the-bottle to seven minutes in heaven."_

"_Seven minutes in heaven?" Sam looked up at him questioningly._

"_You don't know the game?" he asked. She shook her head. "Well, it's a variation of spin-the-bottle only this time you and the person your spin lands on have to go in the closet for seven minutes."_

_She lowered her eyes and softly said, "Well, that explains why we never played it. Not a lot of closet space in a trailer."_

_Martin hugged her a little bit tighter._

"_Well, you didn't miss much. It was six-minutes and fifty-five seconds of awkwardness and stilted conversation. So, Veronica and I are standing in the closet trying not to make eye contact. Outside we could hear all our friends laughing so the mood was less than romantic. As the seven minutes were coming to an end they started counting-down. I kept thinking, make a move stupid! But I was frozen in place. I had no idea what to do when suddenly Veronica leaned over and just kissed me. It was surprisingly nice," he said in a soft voice as he recalled the memory. "We ended up 'dating' for three weeks. Well, middle school dating: carrying her books, eating lunch together, holding hands in the hallway, stuff like that. It might have lasted longer if her dad hadn't been transferred to Chicago."_

_Sam thought how that middle-school romance was precisely the kind of relationship that Martin wanted now: simple and very public. But they weren't uncomplicated pre-teens anymore. "That's really sweet. It seems you owe Jake a lot for having those parties. If it wasn't for those games you might never have seen any action." _

_Martin chuckled and she could feel it reverberating throughout her entire body. "No way, thanks to him it took me years to figure out how to get a girl to kiss me without using props." _

_This time it was Sam's turn to laugh._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

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Sam had stayed with Martin for about another hour before Katherine returned. She excused herself saying that she had to get back to work. Which while true, wasn't the only reason she had to leave; she was worried that if she spent any more time with Katherine they might end up talking about her relationship with Martin and that was a conversation she really did not want to have.

So she bolted with her very true but cowardly excuse.

She stopped by Danny's room but the nurse informed her that he had checked himself out AMA. She cursed Danny's stubbornness but couldn't blame him either. If the situation had been reversed she mostly likely would have done the same thing.

So she returned to the office to find Danny seated at the conference table, riffling through papers. If she ignored the bags under his eyes, he looked like regular old Danny.

"Hey," she greeted.

Danny looked up and a guilty expression crossed his face. "Hey, I think I found something." He motioned for her to sit down next to him. "I've been reviewing Dornvald's credit card records and it seems that he's a training to be a pilot. He's been taking lessons over at Smither's Field in Connecticut"

"How did you get his records?" She queried, she wasn't gone that long. "I've been trying all morning."

"They arrived a few minutes after I got here," he replied. Of course, she thought, all you have to do to get a pot to boil is walk away. "I think he might be planning on taking an unscheduled flight back to Makeba."

Sam shook her head before replying, "Jack doesn't think that's where he'll be headed. He thinks…."

"Jack thinks you shouldn't be here," Jack interrupted. Sam and Danny looked over to see him walking into the bullpen not looking very happy. "What are you doing here Danny?"

Sam shot a glance at Danny, who seemed to be formulating the best way to respond. "I'm fine Jack. I need to be here."

"You need to be in the hospital."

"Jack, c'mon, you know you need more manpower on this case. I know this guy, I can help." Danny's voice sounded firm but Sam knew him well enough to hear the silent plea underneath.

She watched the exchange between Danny and Jack, who was waging an internal battle on what to do. She knew what he was thinking: that while they could definitely use the help he didn't want to put Danny at any more risk. Most likely he hadn't even had a chance to process what had happened yet.

"Okay, but if I feel that you shouldn't be working you go," Jack finally replied. "No questions, no discussion. You go."

"Absolutely," Danny replied and she could see the relief in his eyes. "Do you want to know what I've found?"

"Yeah, tell me on the way to the tech room. They pieced together Dornvald's route." Sam and Danny got up and walked with Jack while discussing the case.

Danny explained what he found and Jack admitted it might be an avenue worth pursuing. He called up Agent Turner, who volunteered to help them work the case since VCU could afford to spare him, and told him to grab another agent and head out to Smither's Field to hold surveillance in case Dornvald decided to use that as an escape route.

Jack also took this time to inform Danny that they had discovered the identity of Dornvald's accomplice. It was confirmed when Jack was finally faxed the phone records by the consulate and the last phone call Dornvald placed was to Amadi Jamal.

XXXX

They entered the tech room and James, the tech, was clearly surprised to see Danny up and around.

"Danny, I didn't expect to see you. How are you doing? How's Martin?" The concerned tone in James' voice gave Danny an anxious feeling he didn't want to think about. He did not like being treated like a victim.

So he did what he did best. He ignored it. "What do ya got?"

James looked over to Jack, who nodded at him to do as instructed.

Getting the hint that Danny was taking the avoidance route he replied, "Either this guy is really good or really lucky because the intersection of the shooting usually has constant video surveillance but since the city was doing road work it had been disabled for the last two days. However, thanks to Danny's detail on the license plate, we were able to identify the van. I put together all the video from the street cameras hoping to track where he was going by examining the possible four directions he would have had to take."

James set up the computer and sketchy video footage began to play on the monitor.

"The last time we capture him on video is right before he crosses the Brooklyn Bridge," James explained. "Unfortunately, that's where we lost him. Brooklyn doesn't have as many street cams as Manhattan."

"Well, you know, less crime there," Jack commented sarcastically. "Can you get me a clearer shot of the driver?"

"I've been trying but he must have been aware of the possibility for surveillance because as he nears each light he pulls himself as far back as he can from the steering wheel."

"Damn," Jack replied. 'Well, at least we have a general idea of where they were headed. Thanks."

The three agents headed back out to continue in their pursuit.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

XXXXXXX

The team, or rather, three-fifths of the team, spent the next few hours searching phone records and credit card receipts. Jack was trying to figure out what Dornvald's next move could be but his thoughts kept straying to how in a matter of hours, three of his agents lives faced great peril.

He'd known Viv for years and their relationship was one of the most important in his life. She never hesitated to call him on when he acted like a jerk, an idiot or as she phrased it, "a man in general." Having to take back the job he fought so hard to get for her was one of the most difficult things he had to do in his life but he didn't see how he could possibly have had any other choice. He finally thought they were getting back to good when he found out that she had been hiding a heart condition from him. That stung, but he was trying to show her that he was still her friend no matter what.

He wasn't particularly close to Danny but he respected him and often felt like his surrogate dad. He wore his heart on his sleeve and it was something that he admired in him as a man and an agent. It also seemed as if he was often trying to impress him while simultaneously trying to gain his independence. Plus, he was funny as hell.

As for Martin, well that was a whole different story. Their relationship was like a see-saw: there were lots of ups and downs. Some could argue that it was an adversarial relationship but there was entirely too much respect on both parts. Martin had managed to prove he was more than just the Deputy Director's son trying to coast his way through life. And while Jack could hardly call him a friend, as he knew almost nothing about Martin's life outside of work, he would never want any harm to come to him. Of course, the one big detail he knew about his personal life he did his best to never think about. He still found it hard to believe that Martin and Sam were involved. He thought she would never mix her professional and personal life again but somehow Fitzgerald managed to find a way to convince her otherwise.

Before he could dwell on it any further, his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. "Malone."

"Hi Jack, this is Turner over at Smither's Airfield. We've spotted Amadi Jamal. It looks like he is trying doing some kind of maintenance check-up on the plane. Do you want us to apprehend him or hang back?"

Jack contemplated a moment. "Keep your distance, we're on our way. If he makes a move to leave, arrest him." He hung up the phone and went out to the bullpen to get Danny and Sam.

Before arriving at the airfield, Jack called Turner to find out exactly where Jamal was located. Turner told him he was hanging out in the farthest hanger so he had Sam park two hangers down and then the entire team went on foot to the hanger were Jamal was spotted. He also instructed Turner and the other agent to move in from the opposite direction. When they were just outside the hanger, Jack gave the order for both teams to move in quickly.

"Freeze! F.B.I.! Amadi Jamal you're under arrest!"

It seemed that Jack's tactic worked, Amadi was thrown off guard. He tried to make a run for it but stopped in his tracks as Turner entered through the back door. So he turned around and made a move to run up the stairs when he came across Danny who tackled him before he could reach the first step.

It was then that Jack realized Danny was doing more than just apprehending the suspect. He had not only tackled Amadi but began pounding into him.

"Where in the hell is Dornvald you piece of shit!" Danny looked as if he was ready and willing to kill Amadi.

"Danny, no!" Jack called out as he ran over to where Danny had Amadi on the ground.

"How do you like it now?" Danny hit Amadi in the face once again.

"Danny, stop it! It's not worth it!" Sam yelled as she rushed towards the men.

"Not so easy when you're ambushed is it!" Danny was just about to hit him again when Jack and Turner met up and pulled him off. As they did, Sam approached with her gun trained on Amadi.

"Stop it! That's enough!" Jack's voice had such an edge of anger that it finally seemed to get through and he stopped struggling. "Enough!"

Danny came to his senses and stopped struggling against them. He looked down at a bloodied Amadi, maneuvered out of Turner's hold and walked straight out of the hanger.

Jack looked back down at Amadi as Sam began reading him his rights as Turner cuffed him. "Amadi Jamal you are under arrest…."

Seeing that he was safely in custody, Jack walked out of the hanger to find Danny.

XXXX

Danny walked out of the hanger and just kept on going; past the hangers, past the planes on the airstrip, past the runway. He could not believe that he railed into Amadi the way he did. Actually, no, he could believe it. That was the problem. No agent should ever let their emotions get the better of them when it comes to a suspect; never.

And yet, lately, that is exactly what he had been doing. Luis Vega, the guy who betrayed Rafi, came to mind. Danny thought back to how supportive and helpful Martin was when looking for Rafi. Martin even managed to keep him honest when he was breaking into Vega's car.

"_This car could've been used to kidnap your brother," Martin announced. _

_Danny just looked at him. He was amused that he was trying to find an excuse for what he was about to do – regardless if it was legal or not. _

"_Exigent circumstances work for me," Martin added, smiling. _

Danny laughed mirthlessly when he recalled that the last time he was pulled off a suspect was by Martin and now Martin was the reason he was on the rampage once more.

"Danny, hold up!" He swung around to see Jack heading his way.

He stopped walking and began to apologize, "I'm sorry, Jack. I don't know what came over me…."

Jack held up his hand and said, "Cut it. It's my fault. I knew you weren't really ready to come back and I should've stuck by my gut instincts."

He shook his head and pleaded, "Jack, no, I have to…."

"Go home, Danny," he ordered; there was no mistaking his anger. "Get some rest."

"Jack…"

"Go."

At that, Danny stormed off without giving Jack so much as a backward glance.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

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Jack and Sam entered the interview room where Amadi sat looking beaten but not down. The expression on his face was hard and unreadable. Sam sighed heavily; this interrogation was not going to be easy.

Jack walked directly to the table and sat down opposite Amadi. "Where's Dornvald?"

She was taken aback that Jack was so direct but she knew that he must have a reason so she decided to put on her poker face and wordlessly took the seat next to Jack.

Amadi sat perfectly still and made no indication that he even knew that they were in the room and continued staring straight ahead.

"I asked you a question. Where. Is . Dornvald?" Jack's tone was menacing.

Amadi didn't even flinch when he responded in a language that Sam could only guess was spoken in Makeba.

Jack gave him a humorless smile and said, "Very clever. You wanna try that again in English this time?"

Once again, Amadi responded in another dialect.

Sam could see Jack's jaw clench but when he spoke his voice sounded assured and confident. "Let me put it in a way a man like you can understand. We have you and Dornvald for the murder of Adisa Teno and the attempted murder of two federal agents. One of which is the son of the Deputy Director of the F.B.I." This was the first time that Amadi's expression changed, if only for a split second. "So needless to say, you are number two on his shit-list. Sorry, Dornvald is topping the charts on this one. But I'm guessing you are used to coming in second."

Amadi quickly glared at Jack before returning his gaze to the wall behind them.

"Of course, we both know that you're not the brains in this operation. It's Dornvald I want. So here's the deal: I can arrange to have the death penalty taken off the table so you serve a life sentence. It's death by lethal injection or life imprisonment in exchange for Dornvald's whereabouts."

Amadi's eyes refused to acknowledge that he had even heard the offer.

"Now it would be very easy for you to remain here and serve your sentence in one of our American prisons full of civil liberties and all that. I even hear they have cable TV now." Amadi's expression remained stoic, until Jack added, "Or the Deputy Director could see to it that you are extradited back to Makeba." This got Amadi's attention and his eyes shifted to Jack. "And I don't know if you have been following the news but it seems that the rebels have managed to take the presidents home. It seems highly likely that they will be gaining control of the government and I am sure they will welcome the return of such a popular fellow as yourself. You were one of Dornvald's favorites to dispel his brand of justice were you not?"

Sam could clearly see the inner turmoil boiling within Amadi before he replied, "I am not afraid to die."

"I'm sure you're not." Jack shrugged his shoulders and added, "But how do you feel about slow torture because something tells me that those in charge would prefer for your death to take awhile."

It was clear that this was not a happy revelation to Amadi. Sam saw a flicker of fear cross his face. As was usually the case, the biggest bullies were able to dish it out but not take it.

"I think this might be a good time for you to consider where it is you want to spend the remainder of your life. Something tells me that you stand a better chance here," Jack said, his voice was determined and confident.

Amadi swallowed hard and it took him quite awhile to respond. "I need time to consider this."

"Yeah? Well, guess what? Time's up. You tell me where I can find Dornvald right now or I walk out of this room and tell Victor Fitzgerald to get your plane ticket." Jack grinned and added, "One-way, of course."

Amadi sat still and Sam could almost see the wheels in his mind spinning, each second feeling longer than the next. As the time stretched on, she could also see that Jack had grown tired of waiting.

"Okay, let's go," Jack announced as he stood up and headed to the door with Sam following his lead.

Just when she was sure that Amadi would just let them walk out the door, he spoke up. "Keyser Building, Apt. 42."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

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After Danny left the airfield he somehow found himself in the St. Andrew's Hospital parking garage. He sat there for over twenty minutes before he finally opened the car door rationalizing that it was just so he could go inside and get a soda. He had no idea how he ended up a few feet from Martin's hospital room. His brain tried telling him that he should go in but his feet seemed to be in disagreement.

"It's always heartening to see my patients following my instructions." Danny turned to find Dr. Close standing behind him. "Where's your sling?"

"I seemed to have misplaced it." Danny smirked. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were stalking me."

She huffed and replied, "Hardly. Ignoring the fact that you are on my turf, I'm a resident. I barely have time to eat and sleep much less stalk former patients, no matter how cute." Dr. Close returned his smirk. "You need to wear your sling. Your shoulder won't heal correctly if you don't take care of it."

He had no intention of letting her off the hook that easily. "Cute?"

"Don't get too full of your self," she replied with a smile. "I could add other adjectives: bull-headed comes to mind."

"Stop it. You had me at 'cute'"

Dr. Close decided to leave it there and get to the real reason for coming by to see Danny. "Nurse Vance beeped me and said that she saw you in the halls. I thought maybe you had come to your senses."

"No way am I checking back in, I've grown accustomed to life on the outside."

Dr. Close laughed. "I figured as much." She nodded her head in the direction of Martin's room. "So, have you gone in yet?"

He glanced at the door to the room and replied, "No."

"Now's a good time, there's no one else in there. His parents are down the hall meeting with some neurologists." She looked at him with soft eyes and said, "You should go in."

"I don't know if I can." Danny swallowed hard and said, "I just don't think I can see him, not like that."

"Avoiding him won't change anything but I think seeing him might help you."

He looked at her and knew that she was right. A large part of him thought if he just didn't see him then he could pretend that Martin was in another room or out in the field working a case. Seeing him in that room would make it all too real. Make what happened real and not just some fractured memory.

"I can go in with you if you'd like," she offered; her eyes filled with empathy.

Danny considered it. He really wanted to see Martin and maybe having someone else there would make it easier. "Okay."

Dr. Close placed her hand on Danny's good shoulder and started to lead him to Martin's room when he halted abruptly. He looked her right in the eye and said, "Wait a minute, you are about to share something very important with me and I don't even know your first name."

Dr. Close smiled, extended her hand and said, "Emma."

He returned the gesture and replied, "Danny."

"Nice to meet you, Danny; now quit stalling." With that they entered Martin's room.

He was so nervous that he could feel all the blood pulsing through his veins. Emma must have noticed this because she immediately had him sit down on the chair next to Martin's bed.

Danny could not believe how much Martin did not look, well, like Martin. The top of his head was bandaged, his skin looked pale and grey. His eyes were closed and his breathing was being assisted by an oxygen tube. Scanning further down, his shoulder was also bandaged along with his chest. There was a tube running from his chest to a machine alongside the bed. Actually there were a lot of tubes connected to Martin doing things that Danny would prefer not to think about.

"I can explain what everything does if you want. Maybe help demystify it for you." Emma's voice was soothing and sympathetic.

He shook his head, his gaze never leaving Martin. He felt so guilty that he was walking around while his friend was lying here in a hospital tied to machines.

XXX

_As soon as the car stopped moving, Danny maneuvered himself out from under Martin and got out of the car. Ignoring the pulsating pain in his shoulder, he pulled out his gun and aimed it towards the direction of the speeding van. He gave a feeble attempt at giving chase but knew it was hopeless. _

"_Hey man, you okay…whoa!" Danny swung around with his gun pointed to a man who threw his hands up in the air. His mind was spinning and his heart racing so fast, that it took him a moment to register that the man was the driver of the SUV. He lowered his gun and ran back to the car shouting orders to the driver._

"_I'm a federal agent...Call 911…tell them that there is an agent down and to send an ambulance…" The man continued to stand there in shock so Danny yelled, "Do it now!"_

_He got to the car and glanced in the back. He immediately knew that Adisa was dead. There was a trail of blood pouring from a wound on his forehead and his eyes were wide open and lifeless. He quickly turned his focus on Martin. _

"_Martin…c'mon man." He pushed him back into his seat and saw blood covering his chest and the side of his head. Martin's eyes were watery and trying to focus but finding no luck. He was breathing but it was labored, with short gasps. "No, Martin, c'mon." Danny struggled to get the seatbelt unbuckled but with Martin's body being completely limp it was difficult to do. When he was finally able to release the lock, Martin's body fell to the side. He tried to pull him out but thanks to the car accident his leg was wedged under the steering wheel. _

"_Help me!" Danny cried out to no one in particular._

_The other driver, who was on his cell phone with 911, leaned into the car to evaluate the situation. "Now the other guy is trying to get him out of the car. Ah, man, he doesn't look good…What? Yeah, hang on...Hey, Buddy, the dispatcher said not to move him. We need to wait for the paramedics."_

_Danny continued in his attempts to get Martin out of the car. If he was out of the car he'd be safe. He'd be okay. Bad things always happen in cars! He tried pulling Martin's leg loose so he could move him until he felt someone grab him by the shoulders. _

"_You're hurting him!" This startled Danny and he finally released his grip on Martin. The man looked into his eyes and calmly said, "We need to wait. The lady said that you should focus on stopping the bleeding. Here, take this." The man removed his jacket and handed it to him. "Put this on his chest wound and apply pressure."_

_Having been jerked back to his senses Danny took the jacket. He mentally chastised himself for losing his cool in a crisis. He was a federal agent damn it._

_He pressed hard on the chest wound, praying for the bleeding to stop. He looked at Martin's face and saw that his eyes were filled with fear and pleas for help. _

"_You're gonna be fine. Hang on okay." He tried not to break eye contact with Martin. His hands were shaking violently but he kept his hand pressed to his chest. "You'll be back eating those damn greasy cheeseburgers for breakfast before you know it." _

_For a split second Martin's eyes almost seemed to dance at Danny's words before his eyelids slid shut. _

"_No! Open your eyes Martin! Open your eyes!" He shook him hard but his eyes remained closed. "Martin! Don't do this to me! Open you eyes!"_

_Suddenly Danny was transported to another car twenty years ago. The smell of radiator fluid, burnt rubber, and blood lingering in the air; his father slumped over in the drivers seat, silent; him shaking his mother as he begged, "Open your eyes, Mami! Mami, wake up! WAKE UP!"_

XXX

"I have to go," Danny said as he jumped out of his seat and rushed out of the room before Emma had a chance to try and stop him.

"Danny!" she shouted as she managed to catch up with his frenzied pace right before the elevator.

He stopped and turned to her. "Look, I appreciate you trying to help me but you don't understand the situation."

Emma's jaw tensed. "I understand that you and your partner were injured in the line of duty. I understand that you are here walking, or rather sprinting around while he is a coma. I understand that means you have a lot of guilt. I understand that you probably think if you had reacted differently, or sooner, or whatever, that things might have turned out completely different but you have to face what did happen and not what could have happened or what should have happened. I understand that running away doesn't solve anything."

So maybe she did understand. Not all the details but enough. However, no matter how rational her argument was, it didn't hold a candle to the guilt he felt.

Suddenly, he could see remorse on her face. "I'm sorry, that was out of line."

"No, don't be. I…" he began to reply when he was interrupted by the familiar ringing of his cell phone. He gave her an apologetic smile as he pulled the phone out of his pocket. He looked at the caller-ID. It read: JACK. "I'm sorry but I really have to get this."

"Yeah, I better get back to rounds. Take care of yourself." Emma nodded at him looking deflated.

She started walking away when Danny touched her arm to stop her. "Thank you, for everything."

They exchanged small smiles before his phone rang again.

She motioned for him to answer it but as she walked away she added, "Start wearing your sling, Cutie."

Danny's smile grew as he watched her head down the hall. He hit the talk button and put the phone to his ear. "Taylor."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

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Jack swallowed the last of his cold coffee and tossed the paper cup into the trash. After Amadi gave him the address Jack pressed him further and he revealed that Dornvald most likely would not know that he had been apprehended until he didn't show up at 6:00 a.m – the assigned rendezvous time. So he coordinated a few teams to raid the warehouse and get Dornvald.

He reviewed the entry plan for the apprehending Dornvald one last time and checked his watch: 5:37 a.m.

It had taken several hours for the search warrants to be processed because Jack wanted to make sure everything was done by the book – there was no room for error. He hated doing a dangerous raid at this hour, especially when he and two of his team members were functioning on minimal sleep, but he couldn't risk Dornvald escaping.

He hadn't felt this antsy about a situation since Sam was taken hostage at the bookstore. He glanced over to Danny who was putting on his Kevlar and looking the epitome of cool. He didn't know what he did after he left the airfield but he looked much better, like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Jack wondered if Danny actually went home and got some sleep or if it was simply the result of kicking Amadi's ass. Whatever it was though, he looked like he had his emotions in check. He still had some doubts about whether it was too soon for him to be back but he knew that Danny needed to be here. He would if he were in his shoes. In the meantime, he would just have to keep an eye on him.

"Agent Malone, we're set." Jack glanced over at Turner and the rest of the agents in their bullet-proof vests and F.B.I. jackets. He tried to ignore the noticeable absence of two of his agents.

He nodded and said, "Let's go."

They all piled out of the unmarked vans that were parked down the block from Dornvald's hideout and made quick work of getting to the Keyser Building. Jack, Danny and Turner headed through the main entrance while Sam and a few other agents moved around to the rear and fire-escape.

The building was old and smelled like mildew and sweat. The foyer was dimly lit, which when coupled with the early morning light, made visibility almost nil.

Jack heard some noise coming from the third floor. It sounded like a telephone conversation but it since it was spoken in same language Amadi was speaking earlier he couldn't be sure what was being said.

He motioned for Danny and Turner to follow behind him. The three agents moved up the stairwell with their guns drawn when one of the steps creaked, loudly; so much for the element of surprise.

Suddenly the door to the apartment swung open emitting a burst of gunfire.

They fired back. Someone cut out of the door and head down the hall. Danny fired and the suspect fell. There were a few more shots exchanged inside the apartment and then there was silence.

Jack shouted, "F.B.I.! Dornvald, give it up! You're surrounded. Let's just end it now."

If Dornvald heard him, he didn't acknowledge it.

They continued cautiously up the stairwell and soon they were just outside the door. Turner quickly checked the fallen suspect's vitals and indicated to Jack that there was no pulse. Looking in the quiet room, they couldn't see anyone, so they pushed the door wide open and stormed in with their guns drawn.

No sign of Dornvald.

Once inside they began a methodical search, checking corners, inside closets, and behind furniture but they turned up nothing.

Suddenly Sam's voice shouted into his earpiece. "Jack, he's on the roof!" Suddenly there was more gunfire exchanged.

They ran to the window and climbed up the fire escape. Jack was just about to hit the roof when a shot was fired at him, narrowly missing his head. He ducked back down before shouting, "Dornvald! You're surrounded! Give it up!"

The only response Dornvald offered up was more gunfire.

"This is your final warning!" He screamed in Dornvald's general direction.

"We can't get on the roof this way," Danny commented while searching for an alternate route.

"Sam?" Jack spoke into his radio connected to his wrist.

"Yeah?" she replied sounding breathless.

"Can you get a clear shot?"

"No."

"Damn it." Jack thought about his next move. "Sam, I need you to draw his fire so we can get on the roof."

"Got it," she replied.

The next sound they heard was Sam shouting at Dornvald to drop his weapon and more gunfire sounded. Jack moved his head up and was able to see Dornvald's back. He had Danny and Turner move onto the roof, since they were faster on their feet, while he covered them. Sam was able to keep Dornvald occupied long enough to allow Jack to join Danny and Turner behind the building's air and heating unit.

Dornvald stopped firing and turned around to where they were previously located and started firing in that direction again.

Jack motioned for Danny and Turner to follow his lead. The team quickly moved out from behind the unit and he shouted, "Freeze! FBI! We will shoot!"

Dornvald swung around with his gun firing as all three agents fired back.

He was dead before he even hit the ground.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

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The warm May sun was beaming down its welcoming rays as Danny sat on the front steps of the apartment building. It would be a beautiful morning to sit on your front stoop, drink coffee and read the paper.

Of course, that is if there wasn't a dead body being carried out of the front door.

Ambulances and police cars littered the streets. Danny glanced over to where Turner was being examined by a paramedic. One of Dornvald's bullets managed to hit him but it didn't find flesh in great thanks to a wonderful invention called Kevlar. He scooted over as several C.S.I.'s passed so they could finish processing the scene. It was a clean shoot, no question. Even if it weren't, Danny doubted anyone would bother to ask too many questions anyway.

From where he sat he could overhear Jack on the phone with who he could only assume was Victor. "He died immediately. No, but I am sure I can get Amadi to identify the other shooter. That's not necessary. How's Martin? Yeah, we will be by later today. See you then."

Danny was curious as to how Victor would take the news. Would he feel satisfaction in knowing that the man who shot his only son was dead or would he feel the same sense of emptiness that Danny felt because Martin was none the better for it?

"The scene is clear," Jack remarked as he exited the building. "Why don't you go home and get some of that rest you keep arguing you don't need."

He looked up at him from where he was sitting, his eyes squinting in the bright light. "Too wired, I don't think I can."

"Try it anyway." And with that Jack walked away.

He watched Jack's retreating figure and thought about how much life had changed in the last 38 hours. Everyone was worried that Viv was going to die but now she was recovering just fine while Martin's life was hanging in the balance. He sat there contemplating what sorts of things lay ahead for him and the team but found that his thoughts kept straying back to one Dr. Emma Close.

She was stubborn; but so was he. She was opinionated; but she spoke the truth. She was kind, funny, and genuinely seemed to care about Danny. As a patient he reminded himself. But she did say he was cute….

Danny rubbed his shoulder and thought that maybe he should go ahead and start wearing that sling.

XXXX

Sam was completely exhausted. So much had happened in the last two days. After the Dornvald shooting, Jack gave her and Danny a direct order to go home and at least try to get some rest. He said he would pick them up later in the afternoon so they could all go together to the hospital and check-up on Vivian and Martin.

So here they were, riding the elevator at St. Andrew's once again. Judging by the looks of Danny and Jack they got as much rest as she did: which would be none. Jack was leaning back against the elevator wall while Danny lounged in the corner with droopy eyes. To top it off, the Musak filtering into the elevator was playing a Barry Manilow song; the audio equivalent of a sleeping pill.

Not a moment too soon, the elevator dinged indicating they had arrived on their floor. They shuffled out to make the first of two patient visits this afternoon. First stop: Viv. They entered her room where they found her laying in her bed looking out the window. She turned to face them as Jack carried the vase of flowers to her nightstand.

"Hey, Viviana," Danny's voice was filled with forced cheer. While they had decided to not tell Viv what had happened for a few more days, he had really wanted to see her so since he had gone this long without wearing his sling what were a few hours more? He just took some pain meds and threw a smile on his face.

"Danny, it's good to see you," she said with a penetrating look at the group and they immediately knew that she had heard about the shooting.

Sam decided to just bite the bullet, "So, how'd you find out?"

"Reggie came by to visit last night. Marcus had gone out for a walk and since Reggie didn't know about the TV ban, he flipped it on looking for MTV. He was channel surfing when he recognized Jack's face on CNN. Needless to say, it got my attention."

"We just thought….." Jack began but Viv cut him off.

"It's okay. I know why you didn't want me to know." She shifted carefully in her bed and offered them a small smile, "Maybe we should just call it even for me keeping you guys out of my medical loop."

Jack happily responded, "You got it."

"Did you go by Martin's room yet?" Viv's question seemed to be directed to Sam.

"No. Why?" Sam didn't like the tone Viv was using. It reminded her of someone who had heard bad news but wasn't sure if the other person had been notified yet.

"Marcus wouldn't give me all the details about Martin's condition, since he was protecting me and all that. So when he went to the bathroom I called his room and his mom answered and updated me on his status." Viv's voice was low and despondent. "She came by here a couple of hours ago and told me that they were going to move Martin to Georgetown University Hospital. Apparently they have one of the top neurology centers in the country."

Sam felt like she had been sucker punched. "Did she say when?"

"As soon as possible, but she did say she wanted to wait for you." Viv's voice softened, "To give you a chance to say goodbye."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

XXXXXXX

"_Why do you say you love me, if you are only going to leave me?" - Julia _

XXXXXXX

Sam knocked softly before entering. Katherine and Victor were standing near the window looking out onto the city and talking quietly. She hated to intrude but she needed to be here.

Katherine turned around and gave her a gentle smile. "Hello Samantha."

"Hello Agent Spade," Victor greeted before turning to Katherine. "I'll go see about the arrangements."

He nodded to Sam as he walked out of the room.

"I apologize for my husband's abruptness. He's taking all of this rather hard." Katherine threw a quick glance at Martin before returning her attention to Sam. "I was hoping you'd stop by today. Have you seen your friend Vivian yet?"

"I just came from her room. She told me that you are planning on having Martin moved to Washington." Sam hadn't intended to sound accusatory but that's the way it came out.

"Yes. Victor and I feel that Georgetown can offer the best medical treatment." Despite Sam's tone, Katherine did not respond defensively. She could see why she made such an excellent judge. "I know if he were awake he would hate the idea of living in Washington again but then, if he were awake, it wouldn't be an issue."

"Can't you just wait a little while longer? I mean, he's only been in a coma for a couple of days. Plus, with his other injuries, isn't it too soon to move him?" Sam knew she was bordering on a full blown tantrum but as much as her brain tried to stop her from being completely irrational her heart told her to keep on going. "You have to give him a chance, he needs more time!"

"Samantha, don't you think we've had experts review his charts? We've had other neurologists give us a second, a third, and fourth opinion. We've called in every favor we have to try and find a doctor who can offer us some definitive answers on how long Martin will remain in a coma. While they all have different ideas on what kind of treatment Martin should receive the only thing they can agree on is that they don't know what's causing it. And they have no idea when, or if, he will wake up. The head of Georgetown's neurology unit feels that the sooner he begins treatment of Martin the better his odds are." Katherine took a few steps toward her and continued, "So, we are taking him home where he'll be near his family that cares for him and who can visit everyday. We are just fortunate enough to live in the same city as the one of the best neurological units in the country."

Sam knew that Katherine presented a very logical and rational explanation but the bottom line was she didn't want Martin to leave. She wouldn't be able to see him or talk to him. She knew that if he stayed he'd still be in a coma but at least he would be here, with her. She was used to seeing his face just about everyday for the last three years and the thought that she couldn't see him at all was too much to bear.

"He has people here who care for him, too." Sam eyes were blurred by tears that had not yet spilled.

"I know he does," Katherine's voice was tender and soft as she placed her hand gently on Sam's forearm. "But he also needs to get well and I really think GUH can help him. I wouldn't risk moving him if I didn't believe that."

Sam put her hand on top of Katherine's and nodded her ascension, finally allowing herself to blink and tears spilled down her face. The crying increased and before Sam knew how it happened, Katherine was holding her as she wept. It was the kind of comfort that only a mother could offer. She rubbed Sam's back before stepping away and, in the most maternal gesture, she wiped the tears off of her cheeks with the palm of her hand.

"I will keep you updated on his progress and feel free to call anytime to just check in or if you just want to talk." Katherine smiled at her before giving her a tight but brief hug. "I'll give you a moment to say goodbye."

Sam mustered a smile of gratitude as Katherine left the room. She stood there watching Martin before moving to sit down on the chair next to his bed.

"Hey." She put her hand in his as she studied his face, realizing just how precious it had become to her. She knew that this could possibly be her last chance to tell him everything that she could never bring herself to do before. "I'm sorry that I've been giving you the cold shoulder lately. It's just, I was mad at you for ending it, ending us. I thought if I could keep being mad at you it wouldn't hurt as much. I could convince myself that the entire break-up was your fault, not mine." Sam choked back the tears. "I didn't want to admit that it was me, that I was the one pushing you away because it was safer to try and not care than risk getting hurt again. But I did get hurt. I am hurt that you left me.

"Every man in my life has left me, Martin. My father, my husband, Jack….so I learned to make myself hard; to accept that all men eventually leave. I kept waiting for you to go but you kept coming back, every day. At first I was sure it was just for the sex but then our nights became about more, whether it was just hanging out, eating dinner, or watching TV, it still meant that you wanted more from me. And that scared me because the last time I let myself get that comfortable with someone he left after five months.

"Did you know you're the longest relationship I've ever had? It's true. I know to a guy like you eight months probably doesn't seem like much, but to me, it was incredible; and frightening. I was worried that the more I got used to having you around, the harder it would be when you left. So I pushed. I pushed you away, to test you, to see what it would take to finally make you leave. But to my amazement, you stuck it out. And just when I accepted the fact that you weren't going anywhere and finally allowed myself to let you in, you broke it off. How's that for irony?"

She reached up and softly caressed his face, "But I'm not giving up on you, Marty. So I'll make you an offer: you wake up and I'll get to work on solving those problems of mine."

Sam studied Martin's face a moment longer before kissing him softly on the lips and exiting the room.

End Book I

To be continued in Book II


End file.
